Vallabha-acharya
(1479-1531) A famous 16th century sage-philosopher of India and great devotee
of Lord Krishna. He was born in Champaran near Raipur in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

Vallabha-acharya

Vallabha
is regarded as an acharya and guru within the Vaishnava traditions of Rajasthan
and Gujarat.

Within Indian
Philosophy he is known as the writer of sixteen 'stotras' (tracts) and produced
several commentaries on the Bhagavata Purana, which describes the many lilas (pastimes)
of the Avatar, Lord Sri Krishna.

Many of
his pieces involve praise of Lord Krishna, especially in the form of a boy. Some
works include Vyasa Sutra Bhashya, Jaimini Sutra Bhasya, Bhagavata Tika Subodhini,
Pushti Pravala Maryada and Siddhanta Rahasya, all in Sanskrit. He has written
many books in Brij Bhasha as well.

Vallabha-acharya

Vallabha
Acharya occupies a unique place in Indian culture as a scholar, a philosopher
and devotional (bhakti) preacher. He is especially known as a lover and a propagator
of Bhagavata Dharma, teaching the path of Pushti-Marga, or the "path of grace",
establishing the worship of Sri Nathji.

Shri Nathji
is the form of Lord Krishna when he lifted the Govardhana Hill. He is shown with
his left hand raised and the right hand closed in a fist and resting on his hip.
His followers worship him both as Shri Radhanath or the Lord of Radha and as the
mischievous, naughty child Bala-Krishna.

Vallabha
emphasized, that Sri Krishna is the personification of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, who prevails everywhere and who resides in everyone's heart as the
Supersoul.

Srinathji - Shree Nathji

Shree Nathji is same as Lord Sri Krishna, it is the form of Lord Krishna when
he lifted the Govardhana Hill. Srinathji is shown with his left hand raised and
the right hand closed in a fist and resting on his hip. His followers worship
him both as Shri Radhanath or the Lord of Radha and as the naughty child Bala-Krishna.

vasudeva
sutaṁ -- son of Vasudeva; devaṁ -- the divine; kaṁsa
cāṇūramardanam -- killer of kaṁsa and cāṇūra;
devakī paramānandaṁ -- one who gives great joy
to Devakī; kṛṣṇaṁ -- to Kṛṣṇa;
vande – praise, salutations; jagadgurum -- to the guru of
the universe;

I offer my obeisance’s to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the beloved son of Vasudeva, who killed the great demons Kaṁsa and Cāṇūra, who is the source of great joy to Mother Devakī; and who is indeed a world teacher and spiritual master of the universe. (1)

mandāra gandhasaṁyuktaṁ
-- one with fragrant sandalwood paste; cāruhāsaṁ
-- one with lovely smile; caturbhujam -- one with four hands;
barhi piñchāva cūḍāṅgaṁ
-- one who has peacock feather on his head; kṛṣṇaṁ
-- to Kṛṣṇa; vande – praise, salutations;
jagadgurum -- to the guru of the universe;

I salute Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Universal Teacher, whose body is anointed with fragrant sandal-wood paste, who lovingly smiles, who wears on the top of His head the peacock feather and who has four arms. (4)

utpulla padma patrākśaṁ
-- One whose eyes are like the full blown lotus; nīlajīmūta
sannibham -- whose (body) is like the dark (waterladen) cloud;
yādavānāṁ śiroratnaṁ -- one who
is the crest jewel of the yadava clan; kṛṣṇaṁ
-- to Kṛṣṇa; vande – praise, salutations;
jagadgurum -- to the guru of the universe;

I salute Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Universal Teacher, whose beautiful eyes resembling the fully blown lotus flowers, whose body has the colour of dark blue rain clouds, and who is the crest jewel of the Yadava clan. (5)

rukmiṇī kelisaṁyuktaṁ
-- one with the sportive Rukmini; pītāmbara suśobhitam
-- one who wears yellow silk garments; avāpta tulasīgandhaṁ
-- one who is attracted by the scent of Tulasi; kṛṣṇaṁ
-- to Kṛṣṇa; vande – praise, salutations;
jagadgurum -- to the guru of the universe;

I salute Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Universal Teacher, who is engaged in sportive play with Rukmiṇī, who is dressed in yellow silk garments and who is attracted by the scent of Tulasi. (6)

gopikānāṁ kucadvandva
kuṅkumāṅkita vakśasam -- one whose body
is smeared with kuṅkum from the love-play of the gopis;
śrīniketaṁ -- one in whom Lakshmi resides; maheṣvāsaṁ
-- who is the life breath of Shiva; kṛṣṇaṁ
-- to Kṛṣṇa; vande – praise, salutations;
jagadgurum -- to the guru of the universe;

I salute Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Universal Teacher, the beloved of the gopikas, whose body is smeared with kuṅkum from the love-play of the gopis; who always lives with Laksmi and who is the life breath of Shiva. (7)

śrīvatsāṅkaṁ
-- One who has the birth mark srivatsa; mahoraskaṁ -- one
who has broad chest; vanamālā virājitam -- one
who has garland of wild flowers; śaṅkha cakradharaṁ
devaṁ -- the divine god who bears shanka and chakram; kṛṣṇaṁ
-- to Kṛṣṇa; vande – praise, salutations;
jagadgurum -- to the guru of the universe;

I salute Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Universal Teacher, who has a broad chest with the śrīvatsā mark, who is decorated with the Vanamālā garland of forest flowers and who holds a conch and a discus. (8)

kṛṣṇāṣṭakamidaṁ
-- this kṛṣṇāṣṭakam; puṇyaṁ
– holy; prātarutthāya yaḥ paṭhet --
to one who studies after waking up in the morning; koṭi
janma kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ -- sins done in crores
of lives; sadya eva vinaśyati -- will be destroyed just by
the thought.

He who always prays to Lord Kṛṣṇa with these eight verses every morning, his crores (millions) of past sins are destroyed and he receives all Devotion.